Join our panel of leading economic and transportation analysts as they share their exclusive insight on where rates are headed and the issues that will be driving those rate increases over the next 12 months.

Driven by the boom in shale oil production from the Bakken formation that straddles the Montana/North Dakota border, U.S. oil production has climbed steadily since 2008 after declining for 22 of the previous 23 years. This fact alone might lead logistics professionals to the conclusion that price relief is just around the corner. Well, it isn’t.

The financial crisis in Europe and overall economic uncertainty are continuing to extend the trend of flattish and slightly declining volumes, according to the most recent edition of the Global Port Tracker Report from Hackett Associates and the Bremen Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics.

The Port of Los Angeles is working with the International Association of Ports and Harbors to develop incentive program strategies to participate in the Environmental Ship Index Program starting in 2012.